Folding table



(No new.) 2 sheets-faune@ 1. H. SELDBRS. FOLDING TABLE.

4 No. 570,509. vPatented Nov. 3, 1896.

(No Model.) I n 2 shew-Sheet' 2. H. SELDERS.

FOLDING TABLE.

Patented Nov. 3, 1896.

UNTTED STATES HENRY SELDERS,

or LODI, omo.

FOLDING TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,509, dated November3, 1896.

Applicant find March 12, 1896.

T 0 @ZZ whom t man concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY SELDERs, of Lodi, Medina county, Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables; andI dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to tables, and more especially to tables of thatclass which are adapted to be folded, and thus made to occupy a smallspace when not in use.

My invention consists in the peculiar` construction of the table wherebythe above conditions are attained, as will be hereinafter fully setforth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a view in end elevation of atable made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a View in side elevationof the same, showing the table opened out and in position for use, aportion of the supplemental leaf being broken away. Fig. 3 is a view inside elevation showing the table folded, as when out of use. Figs. 4, 5,6, 7, 8, and 9 are views showing more clearly some of the details ofconstruction of my improved table. Fig. 4 is a vertical section takenthrough the table, showing in end ele- Vation the slide E to which theupper and lower hinged leaves are secured. Fig. 5 illustrates the meansfor securing the folding legs to the standards and also the lower bracewhen folded up. Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the construction andoperation of the bolt passing through the brace and into the standardfor holding said brace in either open or folded position. Fig. 7 is adetached view showing the manner of hinging the upper leaves to theupper end of slides E and also showing in dotted lines the leavesfolded. Figs. S and 9 are respectively sectional and plan views showingmore clearly the hinge construction of the cross-brace for holding thelegs open or apart.

A A represent two standards or uprights, which are provided with legs BB B B, so constructed and attached to the standards A and A as that theymay be folded when the table is not in use, as will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

The standards A and A are held together Serial No. 582,861. (No model.)

by cross-pieces or tie-braces C, C', G2, and C3, (see Figs. l, 3, and4,) which extend between the said standards and are secured thereto inany suitable manner. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 4, thecross-pieces C, C', C2, and C5 are so secured to the standards A and Aas to leave a space between them of sufficient width to accommodate theleaves forming the table top and shelf, respectively.

D D represent the leaves forming the top of the table, and D2 D3represent the leaves forming the table-shelf.

E E represent slides which operate in ways A2 A2, formedin the standardsA and A. One of the slides E is shown in the sectional view, Fig. 4, andthey are also shown in Figs. l and 3. These slides E E are so connectedto the standards A A' as to slide in a verticaldirection from one end tothe other of said standards.

To the upper ends of slides E E the leaves D D are hinged as follows:Two link-pieces d d are pivotally connected at one end to each upperleaf D D by means of a pin or screw at or near the contiguous edges ofthe leaves, and then at the other end the linkpieces d d are pivotallyconnected together and to the upper end of `one of the slides E by meansof a pin or screw. By the above described construction of hinge theupper corners of the leaves are allowed to pass in the act o'f beingfolded or opened, and when opened the contiguous edges of the leaves areneatly joined.

The leaves D2 D3 forming the shelf are hinged to the slides E E by meansof overlapping strips c c, which are pivotally secured to the slides bymeans of a screw, pin, or bolt e.

F F represent two pivotal supports attached to the cross-pieces C andC2, respectively, and act when turned out, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, toaid in supporting the leaves D D and D2 D3, respectively, when the tableis opened out and in use. Vhen the table is folded, the supports F and Fare closed in and lie in line with their respective cross-piece, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Il Il represent supplemental leaves, which are provided, preferably,with metallic dowelpins h 71, 71, h, which correspond in position andiit into holes h h h h', formed in the IOO leaves D D at both sidesthereof. These supplemental leaves II H are placed in position andengage the leaves D D when the top is open, and are supported by restingon the upper ends d a of the standards or uprights A A', respect-ively,as shown in Fig. l. At the upper ends of standards A A', I may, ifdesired, provide draw-brackets CL2 a2, which slide in ways provided inthe top of the standards and aid in supporting the supplemental leaves HH.

In order to fold the table, the supplemental leaves II H are firstremoved. Then the leaves D D' and the leaves D2 D3 are folded, thesupports F and F being rst pushed back, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. IVhenin this position, the leaves will drop between the crosspieces C C' andC2 C3, as shown, where they are held in folded position.

The legs B B B B are pivotally secured to the standards, as shown inFigs. l, 2, 3, and 5, by being provided with xnitered upper ends andpivoted a short distance below the mitered ends to the standards, as atb b, a link b engaging and extending between the two pivots l) b to givestrength to the same. Near the lower end of each set of legs a two-piecehinged brace-bar J is provided, which acts iirst to keep the legs fromspreading and next, by engaging with the lower end of the standardthrough the medium of a spring or slide bolt K, (see Fig. 6,) whichenters a hole in the standard, to steady the standard and prevent anyswaying motion of the table. When the legs are folded, as shown in Fig.5, the bolt K engages a hole 7c (see Fig. 2) in the standard and locksthe legs in closed position. Instead of using the bolt K, I may providea short stud on each part of the brace J in close proximity to thepintle of the hinge and have these studs engage in a slot provided inthe standards, thus keeping the brace-bar at all times central andaiding in supporting the standards when the table is opened out.

In connection with the brace-bars J, I have provided a peculiarconstruction of hinge Il, which is more clearly shown in Figs. 8 and i),and consists in forming the hinge L at that part nearest the pintle withferrules Z l, which embrace the contiguous ends of the brace-bar J whereit is hinged together, and thus the bar J is prevented from splittingand the hinge is secured more rmly in place on the ends of the bar.IVhere the bar J is secured or hinged to the legs B B, one of theferrules l is omitted and the leaf of the hinge without the ferrule issecured to the leg, as shown.

IVhat I claim isl. In a folding table, the combination with suitablestandards or uprights provided with vertical ways, of slides operatingin said ways, said slides being provided at their upper end, with leaveshinged to said slides, substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

2. In a folding table, the combination with standards or uprightsprovided with vertical Ways, and slides operating in said ways, saidslides having leaves hinged to theirfupper ends which leaves form thetable-top and at a lower point leaves hinged thereto which form thetable-shelf, the upper and lower pair of leaves adapted to fold up whenthe table is not in use substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

3. A folding table comprising in its construct-ion standards or uprightsprovided with vertical ways and slides operating in said ways, leaveshinged to the slides substantially as shown, cross-braces for connectingthe standards, and folding legs for supporting the whole, substantiallyas and for the purpose shown and described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 3d day of March, 1896.

HENRY SELDERS.

lVitnesses:

ELLA E. TILDEN, L. WARD Hoovnn.

